The Last
by Dalamar Nightson
Summary: Jabberwocky: an easy to interperate poem, with a clear message about loss of innocence, correct? The jabberwock: an evil creature that needs to be exterminated, correct? The boy and his father: symbols and champions for good, correct? Wrong on all counts.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything you recognize.

**The Last**

I awaken and stretch. As soon as I've gotten the kinks out of my muscles, I realize how hungry I am. It has been oversix monthssince I have emerged from the series of caves I call my home, due first to the bulk I put on because of my pregnancy, and then to the fact that once I laid my clutch of eggs, they were too soft to be left on their own for any length of time. Now that my own heat has helped them to harden, it is safe for me to venture out once more.

I carefully unwind my sinuous body from its position curled around my eggs, and force long unused muscles back into service. I step out into the sun and smile, stretching my wings out to the fullest in pure pleasure. It is a beautiful day in the forest named by humans the "Tulgey Wood." It is late spring, and already the borogoves are calling their distinct mating cry of "mimsy, mimsy!" I breathe in the sights and sounds of my forest before going in search of something to eat.

I walk away from my home, the scales on my back rubbing slightly against the membranous fibers of my wings, creating a soft whiffling sound. Contrary to common misconception, I am an herbivore. My ferocious looking teeth and claws are used simply for stripping the rock-hard bark off of the tumtum trees that are my primary source of food, and for self-defense. Naturally, my fearsome appearance has given rise to some nasty rumors, all of them untrue.

It is because of these rumors that my race has been systematically exterminated by the humans, leaving my eggs and me as our only hope for continuation. In truth, we are not nearly the beasts the humans think us to be; rather we Jabberwocks are sentient creatures, as intelligent, and much more peaceful, than they. We are historically the caretakers of all natural habitats, and all places inhabited by a Jabberwock are blessed with peace, beauty, and abnormally abundant flora and fauna. Unfortunately, the humans, ever the aggressive species, got the idea that we were fearsome monsters, fit only for slaying by their heroes. The humans' destructive nature has caused them to obliterate much of the beauty around them. I feel much sorrow for future generations of them, and the animals that they share their world with.

Enough of these thoughts for now, however. For me, it is a time of joy. Spring has come once more to my home, and my eggs will hatch in another couple of months. When my children are born, I will teach them the culture and history of our race, and in a couple of centuries, helpmy fledglingsfind their own ecosystems to guard.

I smile as a playful bandersnatch runs across my path, her long tail lashing as she chases a small bird. Above me, a jubjub bird calls hello in his language. The jubjubs are very intelligent creatures, and prey on small rodents. I stretch my neck to the fullest so I can look at my friend in the eye as I respond. In my millennia of life, I have learned all of the tongues of the forest creatures, as well as the most popular of the human dialects. I playfully blowthe jubjub'sfeathers out of place, and he half-heartedly scratches back at me. I laugh, and continue on my way.

As I walk, I hum a tune my mother sang to me when I was a hatchling. Its tune is impossible to simulate with human vocal chords, as it involves singing or humming up to five notes at one time. It is a beautiful song, a carefree one that simulates the sounds of a lively forest while still containing the melody and harmony lines that mark it as actual music.

I reach the outer trees of the tumtum grove, and I pause at the first one, still humming. I begin to painstakingly pull off the top layer of bark, being careful not to go any deeper. Our relationship is practically symbiotic – I eat the top layer of the bark of the tree, and the tree itself is rid of the bark that can develop infections that are deadly to it, but harmless to me. Within a couple of weeks, a new layer of bark has formed. This interdependence is the way of the whole forest; the way of the whole of nature.

Suddenly, I become aware of an intruder in my peaceful grove. I peer around the tree. In the shade further in, there is a boy with a dangerous looking sword. The boy is very young, even for humans. He cannot be more than twelve or thirteen years old. He has obviously stopped in exhaustion from lugging about the sword, a bastard sword nearly three-quarters his length. Despite his barbaric accoutrement, he looks almost angelic. The light filtering down between the leaves plays across his golden locks, and his eyes are a bright, piercing blue.

The boy has not yet seen me, despite my larger bulk. It never ceases to amaze me that humans have survived going through the world half blind and deaf compared to many other creatures. Suddenly, I come to the realization that I have a choice. Either, I can retreat to my cave, or I can face him and chase him away. If I retreat, the boy would never find me. However, who knew what he would do to my forest in my moment of cowardice? If I face him, though, I know I run the risk of a physical confrontation. I do not have anywhere near my normal strength, due to the fact that I have not eaten in a month. Because of the way that we Jabberwocks lay our eggs and watch over them, my stores of magic are also depleted.

Finally, I realize that Ihave no real choice. I have to face the boy. Perhaps I could make him see reason, and convince him that I am peaceful. If I hide, he may not find me today, but he will come back until he does. He may even destroy my forest when I am helpless to extend magical protection over it.

I begin to hum again as I walk slowly towards him. I don't want to scare the child, since he might react more violently then. When he sees me, he starts, and I can tell that he is scared out of his wits. He gulps visibly, and hefts his too-heavy sword.

"Do not fret, I meanthee no ill." My multiple vocal chords make my speech come out in a chorus of voices, ranging from bass to soprano. All are in harmony. The boy stares at me for a moment, shocked. He obviously didn't expect to meet another thinking being.

"Prithee, be gone frommy forest, young one. Humans have no place here." My tone is commanding, but I try to keep it as gentle as possible so as not to scare him. He is still holding the sword up. Suddenly, a small sound makes me turn my head slightly. With my peripheral vision, I can see a tall, dark-haired man standing at the edge of the grove.

"What are you waiting for, son?Slay the beast!" The man's voice is strong and compelling. The boy holds his sword up a bit more, and I take a step backwards.

"Pray sir, thou hath mistook me. I mean no harm to the humans." I can see that the boy is torn.

"Don't listen to its poisonous words, son. It will try to trick you, and then it will eat you! It's very dangerous. Get rid of it now. Only you can." I begin to wonder if I made the wrong choice. My three hearts begin to pound in my chest, and it feels as though my four lungs cannot take in enough air. I lift my wings a bit to free my chest cavity, not thinking about the fact that it might seem like a hostile gesture to the humans.

The boy swings the sword, and I evade it easily. Despite my weakness, he is fairly clumsy, and cannot control the large two-handed weapon properly. Again he swings and I dodge. I do not try to parry with my own offensive strength, because humans are fragile and I do not want to hurt him. The boy is only doing what he thinks is right, and I cannot punish him for that. Especially since he is only a baby.

Suddenly, there is a light in my eyes. I realize that the grown man his been playing with a gem that bounced the light at me. I am blinded for a second, and turn my head away, shaking it to clear the spots from in front of my eyes. The second of sightlessness was enough for the boy however. I feel his sword bite into my leg, and let out a bellow of pain despite myself. I try to grab his sword, but it is magical. Obviously spelled against creatures of nature like myself, it burns my hands badly. In a reflex, I let go.

My injured leg and blistered handscause me to be even slower. The boy wears me down even as he himself is getting slower. I dimly hear the boy's father calling encouragement to him, and the onslaught strengthens once more. Finally, I can no longer defend myself. I send out a mental thread, hoping that some forest animal can help me, but they fled at the first sound of battle, as is their instinct. I cannot ask them to jeopardize their lives for me, against their congenital behaviors. Another flash of light bites into my eyes, and the boy's sword bites into my neck at the same time.

Time seems to slow for me temporarily as the large sword cuts through muscle and tendon. Oddly, I don't even feel the pain. I worry about my children in an abstract way, and there is an ache in my chest at the thought that they will never know me. Perhaps instead the ache is from loss of air. My mind grows foggy and cluttered, and my vision starts to blur. Suddenly, one sight comes through clearly. I can see the boy's father's mouth contorted into a horrible rictus of a grin under his dark mustache. As even that picture fades, I know that he has won. I know no more.

**A/N:** I'd really appreciate as much feedback on this as possible, since I originally came up with this idea for a school project that will be turned in in a couple of weeks. Be brutal (though not nasty of course!), please! I look forward to hearing all of your comments/suggestions/questions.


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